I'm right here
by TheStoryChoosesTheWriter
Summary: A response to the parental figure challenge. A one shot of Sirius as Harry's parental figure. R and R copy right JKR rated T for a few uses of strong language.


**This is my response to the parental figure challenge. The event prompts that I've used are listed at the end but I think I made it quite clear :) hope you enjoy it, please review x**

* * *

I'm right here

"Come on Lily, he's almost here," The healer was coaching Lily as she screamed in pain at James and anyone who would listen, yelling that she wanted this baby out of her. Now.

Sirius paced the hallway outside the room from which Lily's screams could be heard. The only thought on his mind was: why me?

"Why me?" he voiced his thoughts to Remus and Peter whom were also waiting for their friend in the hallway.

"What do you mean?" asked Peter.

"Why would they ask me to be his godfather?"

Remus chuckled. "Because they know that besides them, nobody could love that boy more than you do."

"What about you, Moony? You'd make a far better father than I ever would."

Remus frowned causing lines to appear around his eyes. "Because, Padfoot, whatever James has said about how he feels about my condition and how it shouldn't prevent me from being around his child, I am a werewolf and so am not in any position to be a father or the equivalent."

Sirius was about to disagree but was interrupted by James bursting through the door, the sound of a baby crying filled the air. James was known for his unruly hair but not even Sirius had ever seen it as messy as it was then. His eyes were alight with excitement to the point where he seemed to be verging on insanity and his glasses were crooked.

His voice was no less manic than his appearance as he announced, "I have a son! I'm a father!" With that, he returned to Lily's bedside to look down at his son and the rest of the marauders followed suit.

Sirius took one look at the boy cradled in Lily's arms and grinned. "He looks just like you, Prongs."

"He has his mothers eyes," James replied softly.

Sirius nodded and touched the tip of his finger to Harry's nose. "I'm going to call him Prongslet."

* * *

The night of Harry's birth played through Sirius' mind as he held Harry in his arms. All around him were the scattered remains of the once beautiful cottage in Godricks Hollow. Above him, the dark mark still coloured the sky green, reminding him quite painfully, that his best friend was dead.

Sirius was angry.

Though known for his short temper, Sirius couldn't remember a time when he had felt rage like this. That lying filthy traitorous bastard rat that he had once called a friend was the cause of this. If it wasn't for the child he held in his arms, Sirius would have long since killed the murderer.

Harry had only stopped crying when Sirius had pulled him from the rubble. There was nothing but a lightening shaped scar on his forehead to show that anything traumatic had happened to the boy. "Shush now," Sirius calmed him. "I'm right here, uncle Sirius is here, I'll take care of you." With that, he took Harry back to his apartment and immediately called Remus to tell him that Harry still lived, there was still hope.

* * *

"Uncle Sirius, Uncle Sirius!" five year old Harry sang as he jumped on top of his Godfather to wake him.

"Gerroff, Prongslet, it's too early," Sirius grumbled, pulling the sheet over his head.

"But Uncle Sirius," Harry drawled. "You promised that you'd take me to play quidditch today!"

"Did I?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, now come oooooooooon!" Harry began pulling at his Godfathers leg until he finally fell out of bed with an unceremonious thud. When he had finally hauled himself up and pulled on some clothes, he looked to the boy beside him and said, "You can't play quidditch without a broom."

Harry's eyes went wide and Sirius worried he'd made him cry. "But you promised that we'd play... you... you..."

Sirius chuckled and scooped Harry up into his arms. "Calm down Prongslet, I never said we wouldn't play."

"But...?"

"No Godson of mine will be without a broom when he's five years old! We'll go down to Diagon Alley and buy the best broom money can buy."

Harry smiled and then pouted. "But Uncle Sirius, we haven't had any breakfast!"

Sirius grinned, "Not to worry, I'll get you an ice cream while we're buying your broom."

Harry let out a squeal of happiness. That sound was the reason of Sirius' very existence, he lived to make Harry the happiest kid around and that was a hard thing to do for someone who had lost both parents to the war.

Once they'd eaten their breakfast ice cream and bought Harry a broom, they headed to a field just outside of a small muggle village that was surrounded by trees tall enough to hide the two wizards from sight as they zoomed around on their brooms. Sirius, as an extra precaution, had put a spell on Harry's broom so that he couldn't go too high and hurt himself if he fell.

With only two of them, the usual rules of quidditch couldn't apply and the roles of beater and seeker couldn't be fulfilled. Instead, they played first to 10 goals and of course, Sirius made sure that Harry won by a wide margin.

* * *

Being a single parent to Harry Potter - the famous Boy Who Lived - was no walk in the park (though Harry certainly liked those). Never the less, Sirius found himself feeling more empty than relieved when he finally sent him off to a muggle primary school - to keep him out of the limelight a little longer.

In an attempt to do something with himself besides sitting around the flat, waiting for the clock to tell him it was time to pick Harry up, Sirius found himself walking down Diagon Alley, window shopping.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" a voice called to Sirius. "The infamous Sirius Black, window shopping... to Flourish and Blots no less!"

Sirius didn't know whether to grin or to grimace as he turned to see a woman with blonde hair pulled back into a loose bun and startling blue eyes.

"Emma Vanity?" he asked, remembering staring into those eyes with as much hate as he could before every quidditch match Gryffindor had played against Slytherin. "Slytherin quidditch captain of seventh year?"

Emma grinned, clearly happy that he remembered her. "The one and only. What brings you to diagon alley all alone? I hear you're looking after Harry Potter."

"Have been for seven years now," Sirius nodded. Wow, had it really been that long? "What've you been doing with yourself?"

"I'm an Auror," she said, holding her head up a little higher. "I never agreed with that blood purity bullshit that went around my house while I was at school. I became an Auror so I could fight this stupid war."

"Good on ya," Sirius smiled, trying not to let the pain, that the mention of the war brought to the surface, show. "So I take it you're one of those that believe he's not gone, only hiding."

Emma nodded, "It's too easy... Don't get me wrong, I was as happy as anyone when news got out that Harry had survived and you-know-who had gone... but to think he was killed by a one year old boy..."

Sirius nodded his head to show he understood and ran his hand through his hair, checking his watch as he let it drop back to his side.

"So where is he now; Harry?"

"School. He goes to a muggle primary school not far from here, I still have a couple hours until I need to pick him up... I don't really know what to do with myself while he's at school..."

Emma chuckled. "What will you be like when he goes off to Hogwarts?"

Sirius went a little pale at the thought of Harry only being around during the holidays. "I-I'll go with him... I'll become a Hogwarts professor."

This time, Emma threw her head back and laughed so loud she earned a few concerned glances from passers by, "The infamous marauder, Sirius Black, a Hogwarts professor! Now, Sirius, I know Dumbledore has long been off his rocker... but I don't even think Dumbledore is that insane."

"You're right..." Sirius mumbled. What was he going to do when Harry went off to Hogwarts?

* * *

"Will Emma be coming with us?" Harry asked as he watched Sirius levitating piles of food into a basket. He, Sirius, and Remus had been planning this picnic all week; since Harry had started school, they'd spent less and less time together and Sirius didn't like it.

Sirius tried to hide his blush but Harry was far too perceptive to miss it and didn't even try to hide his giggle. "When should I start calling her Auntie Emma?"

"Shut up Prongslet," he growled but added a smile to show he didn't mean anything by it.

Harry smiled, a perfect charade of innocence. "But is she coming?"

"Yes..."

Harry giggled more as he saw the deep blush that now coloured his godfather. There was a knock at the door and Harry quickly jumped up and skipped to the door telling Sirius that he would get it.

"Hello Harry," Remus greeted him, pulling him into a warm, chocolatey smelling hug.

"Who is it?" Sirius called from the kitchen.

"Uncle Remus!" Harry called back. "Emma's coming too," Harry informed Remus with a smile.

"Is she now?" Remus smiled.

When Emma finally arrived, they headed down the the park and sat under a tree on which Harry proceeded to carve Emma and Sirius' names onto, using Sirius' pocket knife, much to their embarrassment.

The picnic itself went by uneventfully. Harry complained, like any small child should, that he didn't want to eat his fruit and vegetables, until Sirius told him that if he didn't eat his fruit and veg, he would lose all his magic and not get into Hogwarts.

* * *

"I don't like Emma anymore," Harry huffed as he squirmed in his dress robes. "These robes are itchy."

Remus chuckled. "It's only for one day. I'm hurt, really. How could Sirius ask you to be his best man over me?" he asked. He wasn't hurt in the slightest. Remus had of course filled out all the roles of the best man but Harry had been so excited about 'supporting' his uncle through the duration of his wedding, that Remus hadn't even thought about complaining.

"Uncle Remus, don't worry. You're still Uncle Sirius' bestest friend... But I'm his Godson so I'm more important." Harry grinned.

Remus smiled, he knew Harry was only joking and he loved how much he looked like James when he acted like that. "What do you mean you're more important?" Remus joked back. "I'm more important to Sirius than anyone here!" he drew his wand and, with a smile on his face, mock challenged Harry to a duel.

Harry pulled out his wand - a joke wand from zonko's - and waved it around. Harmless sparks formed from its tip and Remus fell to the ground as he pretended to be knocked out. Once he was on the ground, he wrapped his arms around Harry's legs and pulled him to the ground too.

Sirius found them in the middle of a tickle war as he walked down to the altar. "Hey, no tickle wars without me!" he chuckled, giving Remus a helping hand up. "You're okay to look after Harry when we're away, right?"

Remus nodded and pulled Harry up from the floor. "Of course, don't worry about a thing."

"I wasn't worried, what would make you think I'm worried?" Sirius asked, running a hand through his hair despite it being perfect anyway.

"The ceremony is starting soon," Remus reminded his friend.

Sirius nodded and Harry took his godfathers hand. "Come on then, Uncle Sirius."

Harry sat next to Remus and watched as Sirius slipped into some sort of daydream when the music started. He turned to see the reason why. "Auntie Emma looks like a princess," he whispered to Remus who chuckled a nodded his agreement.

"Do you, Emma Vanity, take this man to be your Husband?"

Emma beamed up at Sirius and replied confidently, "I do."

"And do you, Sirius Black, take this woman to be your Wife?"

"I do," he replied gruffly but with equal confidence.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Harry made a quiet noise of disgust as he watched his new Aunt and Uncle kiss in front of him, making Remus chuckle yet again.

Life without Harry Potter would have been very dull, Remus often reflected.

* * *

"She always makes me do my homework when it's set, and clean my room, and then if I don't do it right away, she shouts at me!" Harry complained about Emma to Sirius three months after the newlyweds had moved in together.

"Now Harry, she's just being a responsible parent," Sirius defended his wife.

"Well I've turned out just fine with you up until now," Harry shot back.

Sirius didn't know whether to be angry or amused. Harry saw that conflict in his Godfather's eyes and backed away. When Sirius looked like that, bad things sometimes happened.

"I'm a responsible parent," Sirius said. Harry nodded his agreement. "All I'm saying is that you're not used to having a mother and this is what it's like.

"She's not my mother, she'll never be my mother," Harry said, not sure whether he should be upset or not by his Godfathers statement. "She's my Auntie and nothing more. Not even my Godmother. She's not allowed to tell me what to do!"

"If she's not your Godmother then am I not your Godfather?"

"Of course you're my Godfather... Sirius... Why would you twist my words like that?"

The little twerp was too smart for his age. Ten year olds should not be able to turn that statement back on him like that. It was all Remus' fault for letting him read and things. In a desperate attempt to regain control of the situation, Sirius - for what might have been the first time in his entire life - snapped at Harry and said, "Go to your room!"

Harry's eyes widened in shock. Sirius never told him to go to his room. If he did something wrong he got a lighthearted telling off by the end of which he would apologise for his wrong doings and set what could be set right, right. Never, ever, had Sirius sent him to his room.

This was all Emma's fault. If that Slytherin witch hadn't come into his life, he and Sirius would never have had that stupid argument and he would never have been sent to his room. But fine, if that was how he wanted things to play out... fine.

Harry blinked once and Sirius blinked back. It was Harry that recovered from the shock first and stormed off to his room, slamming the door behind him. The door slam was what pulled Sirius out of his state of shock and he was immediately overwhelmed with guilt.

Harry hadn't done anything more than complain - Merlin knows he'd done worse than that before - and Sirius had sent him off to his room. How could he do such a thing?

* * *

Death Eater attacks had been a rarity since the Halloween that brought the end of James and Lily Potter. But of course one would happen on the day Harry and Sirius argue. That's just the way fate likes to work.

In each of their respective sulks, neither Harry nor Sirius heard the muffled pop of two masked figures entering the living room of their flat. The two figures clearly had only one task in mind, as they completely ignored Sirius as he sat curled on the sofa in front of the fire, staring absently into the flames. Instead, they headed straight toward Harry's room.

"Sirius, dear," Emma said as she flooed home from the ministry to find her husband curled up like a child on the sofa. "Is everything alright?"

Sirius groaned and looked up at his wife. "Harry and I fought," he told her. "I... I sent him to his room..."

Before Emma could offer Sirius some comforting words, there came a loud crash from the direction of Harry's room.

"Harry!" they exclaimed in unison as they sprinted to their Godson's room. When they arrived they saw the masked figures restraining Harry but Sirius had, over the years, became a very maternal man and, in seeing his godson in the arms of very dangerous strangers, was overcome by a huge wave of adrenalin.

He morphed into his animagus form and proceeded to bite at the legs of the intruders. Emma, meanwhile, allowed her years of auror training to kick in and bound the two death eaters in body binding spells.

"I have no idea what you hoped to achieve," she spat at them as she led them toward the fireplace, "But you're going to regret trying."

* * *

Sirius morphed back into his human form and pulled Harry into a bone crushing hug. "I'm so sorry for shouting at you Harry, it was un-called for. You didn't do anything but complain and there's nothing wrong with complaining... I was just angry and..."

"I'm sorry too, Uncle Sirius," he was crying from the shock of being attacked and not being able to do anything about it. He clung to his godfather and sobbed. "I felt so defenceless, Sirius... It was awful."

"Shush now," Sirius soothed him. "I'm right here now, everything is going to be fine. Emma is taking care of those awful men and I'm never going to let anything bad happen to you. I'm right here, Uncle Sirius has got you."

* * *

"Uncle Sirius! Auntie Emma! Uncle Sirius! Auntie Emma!" Harry sang, leaping onto his Godparents' bed on the day of his 11th birthday.

The two groaned and slowly sat up to calm their godson. "What is it Prongslet?" Sirius asked groggily.

"It's my 11th birthday AND AND AND!"

"And what?" Emma chuckled, knowing full well why Harry was so excited.

Harry was waving a piece of heavy parchment with a red wax seal on. "And I got my Hogwarts letter! I'm going to Hogwarts!"

"Who says I'm going to let you leave me?" Sirius asked with a smile.

Harry hit Sirius with his Hogwarts letter and proceeded to open it with a huge grin. "Quick we need to sign it and send it back!"

"Okay, okay, Prongslet, calm down." Sirius filled in the correct information to the letter and called his owl to him and sending the letter back to Hogwarts. Once Harry had then calmed down somewhat, he pulled put Harry's birthday present out from under the bed. "Happy birthday, Harry."

Sirius watched with a smug smile as Harry's face dropped at the sight of an old piece of parchment and an ugly looking cloak. "Th-thank you... Uncle Sirius..." he said, trying his hardest to look grateful.

Sirius chuckled and told him to put the cloak on. He did so and instantly lit up as he realised he was invisible. "This is awesome!" Harry exclaimed. Sirius then gave Harry his wand and told him what to say to make the map work.

"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," Harry said and tapped the parchment. He nearly fell off the bed as the familiar names - Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs - appeared on the map. "But that's your... and Remus... and my Dad."

"Oh Harry, are you crying?" Emma asked as she noticed Harry sniffling.

"Maybe... but it's because I'm happy... Uncle Sirius... Did you make this map with my Dad and Remus?" Harry also knew about who Wormtail was and so cleverly avoided the subject.

"We did, back when we were all in in Hogwarts. That cloak was your Dad's too... We got into all sorts of adventures using those... Now you can too."

Sirius didn't think he'd ever seen Harry so happy. The young boy flung himself on top of his Godfather and thanked him a million times.

Later that day, Harry made sure they gathered everything that was on the Hogwarts list from Diagon Alley. Emma bought him a Snowy owl as a birthday present, knowing it was the closest she would get to a good present after the gift Sirius had given him. After reading through his Hogwarts books, much to Sirius' faux disapproval, Harry decided to name his new owl Hedwig after one of the people in the books that he found interesting.

When the day finally came for Harry to go to Hogwarts, Harry couldn't wait to leave the house while Sirius wanted to invent a spell that would slow time enough for him to have another month with his Godson, at least.

Unfortunately for Sirius, no such spell existed. Remus met them at platform 9 and 3/4 to say good bye to Harry and wish him luck at Hogwarts.

The train whistle blew signalling for all the students to board the train, but Sirius was having a hard time letting him go. "I packed the mirror in your trunk, be sure to use it to call me... Whenever you want... And I want to hear about all the adventures you have. Promise me you'll write?"

"I promise, Uncle Sirius," Harry said, hugging his Godfather.

Emma and then Remus pulled him on for a hug and muttered their goodbyes.

"Prongslet?" Sirius called as Harry was stepping onto the train. "You've got marauders blood in you... Give em' hell."

Harry grinned and waved as he was pushed into the train by the flow of students. Sirius watched as he was joined by a boy with bright ginger hair - a Weasley. He waved and waved until the train had left the station and he continued to wave at the empty train track until Emma pulled his hand down.

"Let's go home," she whispered to him.

He nodded but glanced one last time at the empty track. "Good bye, Prongslet, see you at Christmas." With that, he finally apparated away with Emma, feeling somewhat empty. He knew he'd done a good job though, he was sure that James and Lily would be so proud of their little boy.

* * *

**And there you have it, I've also started a multi chapter fic exploring what would have happened if Sirius never went to azkaban and was able to take Harry in. If you're interested, I've posted the prologue, it's called "how it should have been" **

**The prompts that I used were:**

**An argument**

**A goodbye**

**A marriage**

**Childbirth**

**A game of Quidditch**

**A parental punishment**

**A picnic**

**Death-eater attack**

**A friendly duel**

**reviews are greatly loved x**


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